How to Stay naturally energized without caffeine
7 alternatives to Coffee
Nov 01, 2021 Detrick Snyder
Have you ever noticed a correlation between what you eat and your mood, how you feel, and your energy levels?
The link is undeniable, and there are things that help your long-term energy and things that hurt it.
In this article I'm going to cover how you can energize yourself with foods, naturally, without the need of a daily caffeine boost.
How caffeine works
Among many other actions, caffeine blocks the hormone that causes drowsiness: adenosine.
Besides fighting sleepiness, caffeine is also used as a metabolism booster, performance enhancer, and cognitive enhancer.
Caffeine usually comes alongside a host of other nutrients and antioxidant polyphenols that have their own independent effect on your energy and mood. Some of these polyphenols can even change the way your body processes caffeine, helping to temper caffeine’s jittery effects.
After the “caffeine high”, though, comes coffee’s caffeine crash. You may want to try other caffeine sources like yerba mate, black tea and green tea for a somewhat calmer caffeine experience.
side effects of caffeine
Contrary to some claims you might hear, the best research studies show that long-term caffeine intake from coffee is not dangerous to health. Studies show that caffeine sources have no important effect on blood pressure, and possibly even a positive effect on heart health, due to the additional antioxidants that often come alongside caffeine.
That said, one of the biggest complaints people have of caffeine is when it’s not around. If fatigue, drowsiness, and low energy levels are what you get when you stop drinking caffeine, then what is it truly doing for your body and your health?
Just like with any chemical stimulant, regular use of caffeine leads to tolerance and possibly dependence. This is the start of a cycle that can't be satisfied.
Caffeine withdrawal is a real condition, and one that I want to personally avoid. I want to be able to generate energy without the need for a stimulant day after day.
Besides these, caffeine can have numerous side effects: dehydration, diarrhea, rapid heart rate, anxiety, sleep problems, and even more severe adverse effects at high doses.If you don’t want to be dependent on caffeine, then use these tips to take control of your energy levels now!
7 Alternatives to Caffeine: Foods That Boost Energy
Caffeine alternatives provide a more sustainable kind of stimulation. This list gives you the foods and other tips that boost energy so you can kick the caffeine habit.
1. Replace The Ritual
If you're trying to cut caffeine, the first place to start is the first thing you do in the day. Instead of coffee first, try going on a walk, getting your blood flow moving by stretching for 5-10 minutes, or trying a different plant-based drink to ease you into your day.
Consider starting your day off with a nutrient dense, blood-flow boosting juice made from vegetables and low sugar fruit. Green and red leafy veggies like cilantro and red leaf lettuce, high-fiber low-sugar veggies like cucumbers and celery, and deep-colored berries like blackberries, raspberries, aronia berries and wild blueberries all work well together. Each are known to provide polyphenol antioxidants that simultaneously fight inflammation and also support blood flow and oxygenation.
If you don’t have the time to get these benefits from foods, that’s when a high quality supplement can come in. Resync customers attest to every one of the Resync product line, just take a look at the testimonials from professional athletes and regular people alike.
Resync’s plant-based nitric oxide boosted collagen blend, Resync’s plant-based nitric oxide recovery booster, and the easy-open Resync ready to drink beverage are all excellent choices to start your day on the right foot with a clean, plant-based energy boost!
2. Fatigue Reducers
Ginger is one favorite caffeine alternative, especially considering it's science-backed fatigue-reducing effect.
Additionally, research has shown that certain foods can reduce fatigue in athletes, patients, and everyday people. Here are a few of the most important things to look out for in a fatigue-reducing diet:
• All colors of fruits and vegetables (more than one green, orange, and red per day).
• Some great examples are arugula and spinach, oranges and bell peppers, and red lead lettuce and red cabbage.
• Whole grains instead of refined grains
• Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like flax, chia, walnuts, salmon, sardines, and oysters
Here’s a guide to the complete fatigue reduction diet used in research!
3. Mitochondria Boosters
You can increase your energy directly at the cellular level by focusing on your mitochondrial health.
We did a two-part series on best ways to boost your mitochondria, but here are the most effective nutrients to support mitochondria function to use instead of caffeine:
• Plant-based nitrates helping to generate Nitric oxide
• Turmeric
• Ginger
• Polyphenols (especially anthocyanins and catechins)
• Phospholipids (e.g. lecithin, phosphatidylcholine)
• B-complex vitamins (especially riboflavin, AKA B-2)
• Glutathione (see here for more)
• Ginseng
• Ketones, and many more.
4. Blood Flow Boosters
Nitric oxide is the molecule that opens up blood vessels and lets nutrients flow. The most important nutrient, oxygen, is critical in determining how much energy you feel like you have.
Plant-based nitrates are emerging as the go-to nitric oxide boosters.
They out-perform another popular nitric oxide booster, L-arginine, in research. You can find nitrates in red spinach, green spinach, arugula, chard, and other green leafy vegetables.
Then there are polyphenols, anthocyanins, and catechins, like those found in turmeric, ginger, black pepper, green tea, dark chocolate, and many other superfoods. These can also open blood vessels and improve blood flow.
5. Cognitive Enhancers
A lot of cognitive enhancement has to do with boosting blood flow to the brain. The polyphenols that do that best — anthocyanins — are found in aronia, blueberries, blackberries, and other deep red and purple fruit and vegetables. Plant-based nitrates are effective too, as seen on brain scans of people on a high plant-based nitrate diet!
Other bioactives used in brain-boosting research include omega-3 fatty acids, methyl-donors like apha-GPC, and other purported nootropics: L-theanine, creatine, ginseng, gingko, magnesium, nicotine (eaten, not smoked!), lion’s mane mushrooms, ashwagandha, CBD, ketone bodies, and so many others.
Be careful about what you put in your body though. Make sure all your supplements are green-lighted through rigorous third-party testing and certification. Otherwise, you really have no clue if what’s in the pill matches what’s listed on the bottle!
See here for more: Food For Thought: Top Nutrients to Boost Your Cognition and Where to Get Them
6. Hydrate
So often people don't realize how critical water is for feeling energized and refreshed. Staying hydrated is important for blood flow to brain, as well as for your muscles and connective tissue. Everything from your skin to your bones need to be hydrated.
Aim for at least 2 litres of water per day, but far more depending on where you live, the temperature, and your exercise intensity.
Remember, you can’t just drink water, you actually have to hydrate! Effective hydration takes extra electrolytes like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride.
Be sure that your water contains these electrolytes if you want your body to make the best use of it. Read more on optimal hydration on the Resync blog here.
7. An Energizing Lifestyle
It goes without saying that what you eat is only a part of the picture. Treat your body with mind-body-movement practices that gets your out of your head and into your body.
When your brain is feeling sluggish, switch tactics and focus on your body. Not only will you regulate your fight-or-flight response, but you’ll shift your awareness into your physical presence so you can feel calm, embodied and intentional.
Research shows that getting enough exercise (but not too much!) does everything caffeine does and more, with strictly positive side effects!
Additionally, getting enough sleep in the first place is hugely important if you want to kick caffeine. If caffeine’s main function is to fight drowsiness, then addressing the problem at its root is crucial!
Summary Highlights
Caffeine is everywhere, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept being dependent on it. If you want to kick the habit and reclaim your energy levels, use these 7 alternatives to caffeine:
- Find another morning ritual
- Address your fatigue levels
- Support your mitochondrial function
- Boost your blood flow
- Enhance your brain
- Hydrate with electrolytes
- Make enough time for sleep, exercise, and mindfulness
You never know what you might accomplish if you don't try! Resync wants to help you live a healthier life, so try Resync products if you want to see what people are talking about!
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While other companies push clickbait and fake news, what we say is backed by research. When you have the right information, you are empowered to make the right decision. That’s why we break down complex science into practical takeaways you can use today.
Helping you lead a healthier life,
The Resync Team
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Read this blogReferences
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